Warabe Tou Nai
by Sara Hotaru
Summary: It's been sixteen years since Kagome disappeared, and a tiny baby was left at the bottom of the Higurashi well. Now nearly grown, it's time for Kimiko to take on the Sengoku Jidai. Rated for language, violence, sexual themes and historical reality.
1. Prologue

**Warabe Tou Nai - "Child Without Equal"**

**I wanted to do something with the next generation of the Inu-tachi. Yes, I'm demented. No, I don't own the original series. Only Kimiko and Kouhei belong to me. Yes. MINE! Bwaha.**

**This is a prologue-ish. Sorry it starts off slow. And short. Review and I'll have more up faster. I love reviews. 3**

The child looked up, still blinking the drying tears from his eyes.

The big cat was running towards him, carrying someone. The beautiful lady. The lady with the long black hair, not as long as his mother's, but still long, and it shone like a blackbird's wing. Red water was splattered across her face, mixing with clear water. It wasn't raining. She was crying.

She'd cried too, when they left. He wanted to go with his mama and papa. He didn't know where they were going. But, the pretty lady had gone after his mama and papa, and the man with the long, light hair that looked like light from the moon. He wished he could too.

But now she was running back, and sad. Why did she look so sad?

"Ka..." he said, pointing to get the attention of his companion. The one with the pointy ears and fluffy tail looked up, brushing bright red hair aside. Green eyes widened. He said something, turning back to the child. Then scurried towards the pretty lady on the big cat.

He wanted to go, too. He wanted to see the big cat. The cat was his friend, like the one with the fluffy tail and red hair.

The pretty lady jumped off the cat and talked to the one with the fluffy tail. She was sad. She was crying. So was the red bundle of robes in her arms. But that wasn't new. That one was always noisy. There was something wrong.

The pretty lady looked back the way she came as the big cat caught on fire, then turned into a small cat. The lady said something else, then waved them both away, setting off running for the old dry well.

Oh no.

Something bad was coming. Something really bad.

The little cat and the one with the red hair came running back, and held close to him. He was scared and started to cry. The red-haired one shushed him, and he fell silent.

A big man came from the sky, a man with long, wavy hair and scary red eyes. He whimpered softly and the one with the red hair hugged him close. He couldn't see anything anymore, but he knew the big man was following the pretty lady.

There was a burst of bright purple white light.

And then there were screams.

Endless screams.

**So, interested? Review and tell me, and I'll give you more.**


	2. Her World

**Note: I usually keep my writing to myself, but I wanted to share this one with all of you on Please bear in mind that I'm not a professional writer, and that I make mistakes. If you find a horribly embarrassing one, though, please tell me about it. Heheh. Anyway, on with the show. The disclaimers still apply.**

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What should have been a peaceful morning had suddenly erupted into chaos.

The men of the village scrambled over one another to grab their weapons, yelling. Women screamed, children squealed, all the more when their parentsﾁf fear made everything turn upside down. Abruptly, the panic was cut by a comet of red that slammed into the roof of the village shrine.

Slowing enough to belie its true form, the figure clad in red put a sleeve over its face, shielding it from the debris, dust and sparks from the shrine roof it had just ruined. The eyes narrowed as they stilled upon what they had been seeking - a bright, glowing pink jewel on the altar of the shrine.

Wasting no time, the figure grabbed the jewel from the surface, even as arrows and shouts flew past. One arrow that came particularly close was dodged, sending it clattering into a candelabra, knocking it over and setting the wooden shrine ablaze in a whoosh of flames. The figure shot upwards, becoming what seemed a bolt of pure crackling power, and slammed a new skylight in the roof of the shrine. Moments after the departure, the fire hit the oils around the altar.

The shrine exploded.

Dodging sparks and debris, the red streak made quick progress as it lightly touched over the village, heading towards the safety of the forest in the distance. It was when it seemed entirely home-free that a shout came out of nowhere.

There was the ZING of an arrow. The light THWACK as it hit. The figure in red stilled once more, and the shining jewel fell away. A whispered name. Tortured words. The cries of a young girl, and then flames.

All-consuming flames…

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"Kimiko-san!"

"Huh? Wha?" Kimiko sat strait up in her seat, her eyes wide in surprise. The sensei tapped the pointer to the board, frowning at her. Several of the students giggled.

"Thank you for rejoining us. Would you read this sentence out loud?"

Blinking the fogginess of the dream away, Kimiko focused on the sentence written in the English alphabet, clearing her throat and pushing a strand of her thick black hair out of her eyes. "The dog..." she started, and frowned at the board, pushing her lips into strange shapes to properly pronounce the foreign words. ﾁgﾁc barked... a..." she stopped again, and tilted her head. "War... neen."

"Warning," the sensei corrected. "Can you tell me the definition of the word 'warning'?"

Kimiko felt her ears burn a little as several more students giggled, but she tried to ignore it. "No, sensei."

"Warning; to alarm or alert of danger," the sensei said pointedly as he walked towards her desk. He tapped the pointer on her notebook once, drawing her attention to a small drool stain on the paper. In a disarmingly friendly manner, he leaned forward, looking strait into her eyes. "This," he said with a little smile, tapping her notebook again, "is a warning."

Feeling her ears burn, Kimiko sank down in her seat a little. "Yes, sensei." More giggles. She clenched her fists slightly until the sensei turned away, then scowled at her notebook, leaning forward so her hair covered her face.

It was only when the bell rang that her spirits lifted. Staring at the fluffy white clouds dotting the sky, Kimiko meandered out of the building amidst the swarm of students. A light breeze made her green uniform skirt flutter, and she scowled, clamping it down with her fingers. Stupid thing was always flying up.

Stretching her cramped arms above her head, she let out a sigh, then gave herself a shake from head to toe, as though she were shaking off the hanging gloom of the school day. She hooked a strand of her long, thick hair behind one ear, though it just fell down her shoulder again. That was kind of annoying, she again mused as she hopped up onto the low wall beside the sidewalk, above the students, so she could walk at her own pace. They were all so slow.

Kimiko hooked her thumbs loosely into the straps of her backpack, and walked briskly along the wall, ignoring the other students. Soon she was past the front of the stretch, and she hopped back to the walk, heading for the track field farther out on the school grounds. Taking out her frustration on running would help a bit, keep her focused. There were much more important things at hand.

After she changed into her white sweatshirt and black gym shorts in the empty locker room, she walked out to the track, toeing the white painted lines on the dirt. As she knelt against the start, her fingertips resting lightly on the earth, she let the exhilaration flow freely through her veins.

This was her world.

The track went silent. There was nothing but her, the earth, and the painted lines that marked her way. Situating her foot against the metal start plate, she stared intensely ahead at the finish line. She licked her lips, parting them for a single whispered word:

"Bang."

Her foot slammed against the start panel as she spread her wings to fly. The finish line sped towards her, air whipping by her ears, tossing her hair. The speed consumed her as she sailed like an arrow. With a breath she had all the power in the world.

It was rapture.

All too soon, she passed over the line, slowed, and stopped, and breathed. The air was sweet and revived her tingling muscles. She smiled. Or, came as close as she ever did. Her honey-colored eyes sparkled and one corner of her mouth lifted just a little. It was more like a smirk.

"Kimiko!"

Blinking, she looked up, then crossed her arms, giving the man a half-assed scowl.

"Souta-ojisan..." she muttered. Her uncle smiled back at her, then hopped down from the bleachers.

Higurashi Souta was a good-looking man in his mid-twenties, with deep chocolate eyes and stylishly cut black hair. His smile matched his attitude; easy, approachable and friendly. He had a rare ability to make anyone comfortable enough to say nearly anything. Right now though, there was a muscle on his brow that was clenched tightly, meaning he was worried about something.

"Jii-chan is sick," he said softly before she could ask. The breath left her, her eyes widening. Gently, her uncle made put an arm around her shoulders, but she was already scooping up her backpack with her clothes, heading wordlessly towards the car.

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**Never fear. The next chapter will be up soon, that is, as soon as a review or two comes in. If no one's reading, then why update? So, review? Please?**


	3. And So It Begins

**Much love to those who have reviewed the story so far. Your little notes mean more to me than you'd ever know. Disclaimers still apply: on with the story!**

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"Baa-chan," Kimiko said breathlessly as she came to a stop outside of the room of the man she considered her great-grandfather. His daughter, Souta's mother, turned kindly eyes on her and gave a little tight-lipped smile.

"It's only a cold," she said soothingly, and patted Kimiko's hair in her motherly way, stroking it back from her face. In truth, Baa-chan had been the only mother she'd ever known. Hearing a wracking cough from Jii-chan's room, Kimiko turned towards it, and slipped through the door.

Jii-chan looked smaller and frailer than he usually did, laying in his bed. He turned away his wrinkled face to cough into his hand as Kimiko came close, casting a worried glance at the untouched tray of food on the bedside table. She waited patiently, golden eyes fixed on his face, lips pressed together in worry until he was ready to turn to her. When he finally did, she could see the fever in his eyes.

"Kimiko," he murmured, and smiled, then coughed again. She felt Souta and Baa-chan's presence in the doorway behind her, hovering. "Your sixteenth birthday is tomorrow, ne?" She nodded, frowning and hooking her hair behind one ear, though it fell back again. What could he mean by it? Jii-chan waved Souta and Baa-chan over with a flick of his old, arthritis-suffered fingers. As she drew close, Baa-chan let out a deep sigh, then reached out and touched Jii-chan's shoulder.

"You're sure?"

Jii-chan nodded. "Yes. We've put off telling her long enough. She has the right to know."

Kimiko's eyes widened as they flickered between the two. She knew something was happening that concerned her, and felt her heartbeat quicken. Jii-chan reached under his nightshirt and removed a key on a tattered old string from around his neck, handing it to Baa-chan. Her senses flared as she parted her lips to ask what was happening, when Baa-chan nodded and stood, quickly crossing the room and put the key into the lock of Jii-chan's old armoire. She jumped to her feet with a gasp.

"Baa-chan?" Jii-chan's armoire had never been opened as far as her memory could tell. From the time she was small and toddling around the house, the thing had been expressly forbidden. There was a faded old Ofuda on the door scrawled in ancient characters she didn't understand, but that wasn't strange; Jii-chan had scrolls on many things in storage, often keepsakes and other relics from the old days of the shrine. What was strange was the severe scolding she'd gotten the one time she'd asked what was in the armoire.

Kimiko remembered how Jii-chan had cuffed her when he found her struggling with the doors as a little girl. She'd fallen on her rear end with a cry, more from shock than pain. It was the only time Jii-chan had ever struck her. When she'd asked about it, he told her strictly never to come near it. Usually she disregarded the old man and his ranting about things of old, but this one time, the look in his eyes told her that this was something very serious. The only other thing he'd been like that about was the old well. He'd thought she might fall down it.

He had looked afraid.

She'd never gone near it again.

Baa-chan paused as she lay a hand over the Ofuda, then removed it. Kimiko's eyes widened as she felt a strange prickling sensation over her skin. Without a word, Baa-chan dropped the Ofuda to the floor, then hooked her fingers in the metal rings of the armoire. With a whoosh of dust, the doors came open.

Across the room, Kimiko was at an angle where she couldn't see what was beyond the doors of the armoire. Jii-chan touched her wrist, and she looked quizzically at him, a little apprehensive.

Fixing his eyes on her, he nodded. "Go on." Her eyes slid to her uncle, then Baa-chan, and they both nodded. She stood and walked over to Baa-chan. She was ready to find out what all the fuss was.

Kimiko didn't know what she was expecting to find in the armoire, but when she lay eyes on its contents, she frowned in confusion. At first glance it didn't seem to be something that garnered all this secrecy.

Her eyes traveled over the cloth hung in the back of the large chasm. It was haphazardly wrapped around something long and thin, as though someone had quickly tied it for the means of carrying. Frowning slightly, she reached out and removed the bundle from where it hung.

The cloth was red and much softer than it looked. Kimiko knelt and undid the knot it was tied in, unwrapping what it held. Something clacked, and she recognized the sound of steel against bamboo. A sword.

The black polished saya, the sheath, came into view as she slid the cloth from it. She ran her fingers over the glossy finish and to the hilt. The place where the hilt met the scabbard was encased in some sort of rusted golden metal. The hilt itself looked to have been haphazardly wrapped, and it had come loose with heavy use and little repair.

Kimiko glanced up at the others in the room for a moment, then looked back to the sword. She wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean. Why would they keep an old sword locked up like this for so long? Why was it suddenly so important that she see it?

Frowning, she looked back to the old thing, and drew it from its saya, watching the metal as it appeared. It was rusty, chipped, and dull. Confusion was now spiced with annoyance. She pushed it back into its saya, and picked up the cloth to drape it around the sword again. For a moment she hesitated with it in her fingers, and then she stood, taking the top of the cloth in both hands, holding it away from her.

The red cloth was a haori.

Sparks flew through her. This was the most extreme feeling of déjà vu she'd ever had. She had seen this haori before, she was sure of it. The red, this unique color, it was so familiar... but what...? What did it mean? She blinked, and realized there was something else on the floor. A folded piece of paper had fluttered from the folds of red haori and now lay at her feet.

Kimiko knelt and quickly snatched up the paper, unfolding it. It looked to be a note from a notebook, scrawled by the frantic strokes of a neat hand in a hurry. Droplets of moisture blurred the ink in some places, making it hard to read.

_Mama, Jii-chan and Souta_

_I don't have much time. I won't come home. They__ﾁ__fre all dead. Soon I will be too, but I won't let him have it, I won't let him win. He won't be able to come through after her so you__ﾁ__fll all be safe._

_This is very important. Don't let her come back through until she's ready or he'll kill her too, and then all this would be for nothing. Inuyasha made me promise to take his Hinezumi no Koromo, the Tessaiga and the Shikon no Tama_

Kimiko scanned the paper. The writer seemed to have been cut off in mid sentence for some reason. When the writing came back, it was more blurred with moisture than before. She had to strain to read.

_I'm so sorry everyone. I knew a long time ago that there was a possibility my path would come to this. I accept it and I regret nothing. Please know that._

Putting her fingers over her lips, she felt her heart turn over with a lurch as she read the last few lines.

_Although it's not under the best of circumstances, introductions are due. This is my daughter. Yes, Souta, this means you are an uncle... you were right. She has his eyes._

_Kagome _

_PS: Her name is Kimiko._

All of the breath left her body as the threat of hot tears stung her eyes. Slowly, she swallowed. She would not cry. She was better than that. Stronger than that. She looked up, gathering the things from the armoire to her chest as Baa-chan made to put an arm around her shoulders. She sat there woodenly for a few moments, until she could make her mouth work.

"...her name was Kagome." She didn't say it as a question. Before anyone could break the silence, she shrugged herself out of Baa-chan's arms and fled from the room.

Kimiko could hear them calling after her, but it was nothing but a buzzing in her ears. Even clutching the haori and sword to her chest, she could outrun them. Running became her world. She lost herself. Life was nothing but the next step. She ran, twisting and turning, taking a memorized path. She couldn't face them. They would come after her. She had nowhere to go.

The drew-dropped grass slipped under her, but in her sturdy running shoes, she kept her balance. Thoughts flying numbly, she gripped the sword and haori as hard as she could to her chest. The steel rattled against the sheath as she took heaving breaths. The sun was going down. It cast long shadows across the shrine, and the huge trees that stood around it. She looked up, into the sky.

The Goshinboku.

With her gaze, she followed its shadow, looking to where it fell, across the old well house.

The well house.

Jii-chan's words flashed through her mind, his stern, worried expression. That memory had kept her away from it for so long, just as it had the armoire. What else were they hiding from her?

If anything, they'd never expect to find her there.

Resolved, she ran up and yanked open the well shrine's doors, then closed them behind her. Shafts of light fell through the slats of the little shrine, alighting the old wooden well that stood in the center of the small square room. For a few moments she leaned back against the doors, catching her breath, then made her way down the wooden stairs to the well's edge.

Jii-chan called it the Honeguiido.

Gripping the edge, she leaned over and stared down into the blackness. Nothing. It was dry. She scowled a little, and adjusted the haori and sword in her arms. A gasp escaped her as she inadvertently dislodged the folded note from the crook of her arm, and she snatched but missed as it fluttered down into the darkness.

Damn.

Scowling at her own clumsiness, Kimiko grabbed a small pebble from the dirt floor, and dropped it into the well. About a second later, she heard the dry sound of it hitting dirt. Ten... fifteen feet? She smirked. No problem. Placing one hand on the side of the well, she vaulted neatly over the side.

Then she fell forever.

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**You should know the drill by NOW, right…?**


	4. Enter the Stranger

**Much love to those who have taken the time to read and review; namely Inuyasha-inu-hanyou (Thanks! I'll definitely keep up with the action and drama!), KitsuneFoxChild (Thanks for your sweet comments, and I hope your computer feels better), and Amujr (Twice. O-o Should I be afraid? Don't worry, I remember. I owe you a hot spring scene with Kouhei. Also; 'her world' is the track). Usual disclaimers apply.**

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Kimiko's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she wondered why it was cool and dim. Then, the realization came to her just as surely as the sword hilt poking into her side. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment more, then sat up. Dizzy, she pressed a hand to her forehead until her track shoes stopped square-dancing with each other.

She'd had this weird dream about a woman with six arms and the lower body of a centipede. "Nasty," she muttered, rubbing her eyes, then shaking her head as though to rid herself of the image, and looked around for the note. It was what she'd jumped down there for, anyway.

Finally she found herself sitting on it. It was a little squashed, but otherwise fine. Folding it back up, she carefully slipped it into her white track t-shirt's chest pocket. With a little sigh, she stood and touched the side of the well, looking for some way to climb out. She was relieved when she found the hard, thick vines growing up the side, but it instantly became clear that it would be hard to balance the red haori and the sword.

Kimiko swept the haori over her shoulders, and was surprised at how it cut out the chill of the evening so well. Clenching the strings around the mouth of the saya in her teeth to hold the sword in front of her, she climbed her way up the vines. Although they creaked a little with her weight, they held easily.

About three-fourths of the way up, she paused. A small white butterfly fluttered inches from her nose, then landed on it. She blinked a few times, screwing her face up, then sneezed it off. She watched it flutter upwards, rubbing her nose. It occurred to her that she'd never seen a butterfly quite like it before. Then, with a start, she realized she was seeing it against a backdrop of blue with fluffy white clouds.

With her breath catching in her throat, Kimiko realized that the roof of the shrine was gone. With urgency, she climbed the last few feet much faster, and threw her arm over the side of the well, hauling her torso out. What she saw made her mouth go slack, and she almost dropped the sword.

Trees. Trees were everywhere. Grass, shrubs and wildflowers covered the ground. The air was filled with the smell of warm earth, rain and birdsong. It was a world far removed from Tokyo.

"Wha..." Kimiko whispered, clutching the sword to her chest and pulling the haori around her as she perched on the side of the well. "Where am I...?" only the lilting singing of birds answered her. She turned her head from one side to the other, wishing she had about five more pairs of eyes so she could see everything around her at once.

Strangely enough, it felt somehow familiar. How that was possible, she had no idea. Clutching the sword, she knew it would be cumbersome to carry... she had no idea where she was. Maybe she could walk until she found people, or a place with a phone. Yeah.

Pulling the bright red haori around her shoulders and shoving her arms through the sleeves, she realized just how huge it was. Obviously made for a man, the giant sleeves fell several inches past her fingertips, making her have to hike it up to have the use of her hands. The jacket was longer than the skirt she wore to school, when she tied it at the waist, and she wasn't a small girl. She did have somewhere to put the sword, though. Flipping back the sleeves a little clumsily, she slipped the sword through the sash so it rested on the left side of her waist. Well, that was the best she was going to get for now.

She scanned her surroundings again, turning in a circle. There didn't look to be any trails around. If there were, they would likely be overgrown. It looked as though this place had remained untouched for years. It looked like something had been through the undergrowth recently in a place, though. Hopeful, she jogged over and examined the snapped twigs and bent grass.

Looking up to follow the trail with her eyes, she gasped as she saw something familiar.

The Goshinboku.

Excited, she dashed through the undergrowth towards it. When she had been a child, she used to find her way home by that tree. It was so huge it would rise up among the skyscrapers, and was visible from a distance. That tree meant that -

"Kyaa...!"

The breath was knocked out of her as she hit the ground, scraping her hands. Panicked, she reached for the sword at her side. As she touched it, a strong hand clamped around her wrist, keeping her from drawing it. Her free hand balled into a fist, which she swung at her attacker without thinking. She felt the empty swish of the air, but the hand around her wrist loosened. With a strong pull, she yanked out of her attacker's grip, freeing the sword. It clanged slightly, and then all was still.

Kimiko stared up into the blue-violet eyes of a young man. They were wide, and his mouth had formed a little "O" of surprise. She had the sword pressed against his throat. She caught her breath as he scooted backwards, out of the range of her sword. The short black ponytail at the nape of his neck bobbed.

"Pervert," she hissed. Instantly his eyes went from surprise to indignation - it seemed he wasn't used to being accused of that sort of thing, and found it very insulting.

"What would you have expected?" he asked. "Should I have lie down and let you kill me?" the strands that escaped the ponytail swished in his eyes.

Kimiko rolled her eyes and lowered the sword slightly, but didn't put it away. "Why would you think I'd kill you?"

He straitened and gave her a look as though she'd asked him something akin to why the sky was blue. "Better safe than dead," he told her, "especially in these woods." with that, he spun around and walked over to the bushes, pulling one back and reaching underneath it for something.

Kimiko watched with fascination as he pulled out a jingling Houshi's staff. It occurred to her that she'd never seen one, outside of festivals. It was the mark of a Buddhist monk. No one just walked around with one. She blinked, dumbfounded, as he turned back to her. Now that she had a chance to look, he was wearing a deep purple and midnight blue kesa that fastened in the front, exactly the garb of the servants of Buddha.

Where the hell was she!

"Now, let's try this again," he said as he leveled the staff at his side, giving her an even stare, "This is the Inuyasha no Mori. No one comes here, because..." he lifted his right hand and index finger in front of him, as though he were trying to make a point to a child. "It's dangerous."

It was his manner, more than his words, that made Kimiko bristle. If she had been paying more attention, she would have wondered about the strange gauntlet on the hand he was holding up. "I haven't seen anything dangerous except you," she snapped. "Lecher."

The young Houshi gave her a dark scowl.

"Fine," he muttered under his breath, a slight pink tinge coming to his cheeks. He turned on his sandaled heel, starting towards the thick undergrowth. "Go get disemboweled by a youkai, for all I care."

Kimiko scowled darkly after him as she jammed the sword back into its sheath, then tromped off in the opposite direction. "Crazy, stupid..." she muttered under her breath, kicking a rock. Birds jeered at her from the treetops. He was a moron, she told herself. There's no such thing as youkai. He's as crazy as Jii-chan.

The thought of her great-grandfather stopped her, and she stared up at the Goshinboku, biting back the panic again. She still had no idea where she was, but this tree was familiar. She knew every coarse curve of the bark, every snag. The only thing missing was the shimenawa tied around it. With a sigh she stepped up on the protruding roots, running her hand over the scar on the trunk. This was all she recognized. Just the Goshinboku and the well.

And the things she carried. She lifted a hand to her chest, touching the red fabric of the strange haori. With a sigh she turned, leaning her back against the tree, taking the sheathed katana from the left side of her waist, and sat down cross-legged. The corner of her mouth twitched upwards in a smirk as she thought about what Jii-chan would have to say about that.

"That's not the proper way for a young woman to sit," she said to herself, wagging a finger in the air in the semblance of the old man, wrinkling up her face to try and imitate the sour expression he always seemed to have.

"Well," she murmured, thinking out loud as she closed her fist around the saya, near the hilt, and balanced it against her shoulder, next to her left ear. "It ain't as though he's here right now!"

Just as soon as the words left her lips, the satisfaction died. Her smirk became serious and thoughtful. "I've gotta get home," she murmured, then let out a dejected sigh, looking up into the branches, the leaves that swirled in the breeze.

But where was she?

Wait, that Houshi. He'd told her where she was. Some forest... Mori. Inu... Inuya...

... Inuyasha.

Inuyasha no Mori.

She snapped her fingers. That young Houshi had told her that this was the Inuyasha no Mori. But... with an exasperated groan, she slapped her palm to her forehead.

Where the hell was THAT!

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**Eee! She's lost! XD**

**You know the drill, review and tell me you love me. Then you get more chapters. **


	5. Hanyou

**Thanks to those who have reviewed! Tabera Blanc (Thanks, I will!), Inuyasha-inu-hanyou (Actually, Inuyasha no Mori means 'Inuyasha Forest'), Inuyasha'sMYlover (Sorry It's so confusing. :sweatdrop: And 'Warabe Tou Nai' means 'Child Without Equal'. It's also the translation of the meaning of the Kanji in Kimiko's name), and Namiko321 (Thank you! I'll be sure to try my best to keep it that way!). Sorry for the small delay in getting this chapter up. Got in a bit of a row with my mum.**

**Usual disclaimers apply, loves.**

**Just a note: "Hanyou" literally means "Half-breed" in Japanese. It's a very derogatory term for someone of mixed descent. Usually it's used to refer to someone that's half-foreigner; Since most everyone has dark hair and eyes in Japan, it's easy to spot someone who's a mix.**

**Remember how kids are mean to the kids who look different in grade school? Well, it happened in the Sengoku Jidai, too. Sometimes those prejudices follow into adulthood.**

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Slipping quickly along, she followed the twists and turns of the Houshi's trail. She listened for the jingling of the staff, the flip of his shoes and the crunch of footsteps. She had no idea how she knew what to look for. It was as though, somewhere inside of her, she had known all along how to track and listen... and smell. The smells of this place were amazing. Once she paid attention, she could make out the rain, ferns, animals, grass... wow.

"Oi..." she called, cupping her fingers around her mouth, drawing it out. "Oi... can anyone hear me? Houshi... anybody?" the only answer that came back was the chirping of the birds. Frowning, she knelt down to her tracking again, gently touching a twig that had been broken under the Houshi's footsteps. Lucky the earth was moist. It made seeing his footsteps rather easy.

"Huh..." Screwing up her face in concentration, she brought it very close to the tracks, closed her eyes, and inhaled. If she paid attention, she could smell cherry-blossom incense. A satisfied smile came to her lips as she got to her feet, tasting the breeze. Among the forest-scents, she sorted through the threads of the information on the wind and found what she was looking for.

Kimiko didn't really need to keep an eye on the tracks now. She still vaguely saw them, but now it was something in the background of her consciousness. Using the scent of the sakura-blossom incense like a string, she followed her quarry purposefully, much faster than before.

It was only a few minutes before she could hear the rhythmic jingling of his staff. She jogged towards the sound, pushing aside brush. The jingling halted, and she blinked. She made her way through the dense forestry to where she'd heard it last. Her mind numbed with shock. What the... he wasn't there?

Confused, she looked around, but saw no signs of him. "Oi... Houshi?" she called, a little apprehensive now. She tried taking in the scent of her surroundings, closing her eyes. Hmm...she drew in a quick, sudden breath as the back of her neck prickled.

As quick as thought, she spun around, her clenched fist connecting with cheekbone. She managed to pull back on the blow at the last second, her eyes wide, knuckles pressed against the side of the Houshi's face. For a moment they stared at each other, then Kimiko exhaled heavily and removed her fist. "Don't scare me like that!"

His odd, deep blue-violet eyes narrowed slightly. "You were following me," he accused. "Why?"

"I..." Kimiko scowled slightly, not wanting to admit that she needed his help. "...I wanted to ask, how do I get to the nearest town?"

"You really _aren't _from around here," he said, raising an eyebrow. "But... why should I tell you?" he asked. "Why should I point a potential threat towards a village full of innocents?"

"A... what the hell?" truly perplexed, Kimiko took a step back, searching the Houshi's eyes. This was for real. He wasn't just toying with her, to freak her out. "Why d'you think I would hurt someone?" she asked. "What'd I do that has you so afraid of me?"

The young Houshi seemed taken aback, from the confused look he gave her. He opened his mouth, about to formulate a reply, then seemed to reconsider himself. "You're right," he said almost grudgingly, but he was still appraising her sternly, as though trying to figure out if he could trust her. "Two times you could have hurt me, and two times you didn't," he gave her a long look, then let out his breath, as though he'd been holding it.

"I'm Kouhei," he said, his tone polite, but when he inclined his head, he didn't take his eyes off of her. This confused, and more so irritated her. Didn't he have any manners...? (A/N; see a note on this at the end of the chapter) Well, two could play at that game.

"I'm Kimiko," she returned in a curt voice, and didn't bow her head at all, as was customary. Why should she? It was actually very satisfying when his expression flickered, but he caught himself before scowling back at her.

"Well, _Kimiko," _he stressed her name (A/N; also, see the note on honorifics), and jangled his staff slightly as he rested it against his shoulder, walking past her with his chin lifted. "I guess I'll show you the way."

ﾁeI guess I'll show you the way,' Kimiko mouthed silently, making a face at his back as she fell into step behind him. She quickly wiped it blank as he stopped to look back at her.

"Well?"

"Well what?" she asked, frowning.

Innocently raising an eyebrow, he gestured slightly with the staff. "Shall we?"

For a moment she simply looked back at him, then shrugged and trotted up to fall in step with him. She slipped through the foliage just as easily as he did, going at a measured pace. He looked like he was used to traveling. When he moved his staff to hold one of the thornier branches aside for her, she softened towards him a little.

"I guess you can be all right when you want to be," she murmured.

Kouhei looked up, then scoffed a little before becoming dead serious. "I'm not stupid enough to leave my back vulnerable to a hanyou."

Kimiko stopped, dead still, then scowled. "Hanyou!" she growled under her breath, gritting her teeth. She was no hanyou. Sure, she had light eyes, but that didn't mean she was a mix. Everyone said that, growing up... good lord. He was just like those annoying kids at her school. Irritating. Hurtful.

"Forget you!" she yelled, stomping past him, hands balled into fists. "I'll find my way on my own!"

"Hey -" he called after her, but she brushed him off with a glare. Thankfully, he didn't follow her.

What the hell did he know anyway!

-----

**Well, that's the chapter. See the review button…::Nudge:**

**A cultural note from Sara; It's customary to bow when you meet someone, right after you introduce yourself. Even enemies on the battlefield would do this before trying to gore each other. Part of bowing is turning your eyes down, conferring respect. It's kind of like a Japanese handshake. When Kouhei bows to Kimiko, but doesn't turn his eyes down, it's kind of the American equivalent of reaching out your hand, then pulling it back like touching them is gross. "It's nice to meet you… (NOT…)"**

**I've included a portion of a glossary I wrote awhile ago to help a friend in Japanese class. **

**Because this story is set in Japan, though I'm writing in English, I make a point to leave all the honorifics intact. Here is a short guide to honorifics. You'll probably see most/all of them in the story.**

**_Honorifics, like "Mr." and "Ms." are used much more in Japan than they are in America. They are an important part of the culture, and a way of marking relationships and stature. When addressing someone in Japanese, the honorific is usually attached to the end of the name (example: "Kimiko-san") or as a title at the end of one's name, or in place of the name itself (example: "Shizuna-sensei," or just "Sensei"). Honorifics can be expressions of affection, respect or endearment. In the context of fiction, honorifics give insight to the relationship between characters. When anime/manga is translated to English, many translators leave out these important honorifics and the work loses some of its original intent. _**

_**-san: The most common honorific. It is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs., et cetera. An all-purpose title that can be used in pretty much any situation.**_

**_-sama: One level up from "-san". Used to confer great respect, it is used to address those of significantly higher rank, such as teachers, bosses, or just someone the user has a lot of respect for._**

**_-dono: This honorific comes from the word "tono" which means "lord". Even higher than "-sama", this term is used to address someone who has the user's utmost respect. Nowadays it's extremely formal, and hardly ever used. In normal conversation it's kind of like saying "M'lord-so-and-so"._**

**_-kun: This suffix is used at the end of boy's names to express familiarity and endearment. Sometimes it's used by men between friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower station._**

**_Bozu: This is a very informal way to refer to a boy, similar to the English term "kid" or "squirt"._**

**_-chan: This is used to express endearment, usually towards girls. Schoolgirls use it amongst each other much like men and boys use "-kun". It's also used for children, pets, and even between lovers. It has a sense of childish playfulness._**

**_Sempai: This title suggests that the addressed is the user's "senior" in a group or organization. It's most often used in school from lower to upperclassmen. It's also used in business towards an employee of higher rank._**

**_Kohai: The opposite of "Sempai", used towards underclassmen in school or newcomers in the workplace. It points out, though politely, that the addressee is of lower station._**

**_Sensei: Literally meaning "one who has come before," this title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art._**

**_-blank: The lack of an honorific is usually forgotten in lists like this, but it's probably the most important of all, not only in the language, but the culture. It is called "yobisute". Simple addressing someone by their name means the user has permission to address the person in a very intimate way, "seeing them only as themselves". Usually only family, spouses, or very close friends will have this kind of permission. If it is used when the intimacy hasn't been earned, though, it can be very insulting._**


	6. Changes

**I'm so sorry for the delay. On the 4th of July I didn't come home until eight the next morning... out with friends; you know how teenagers are, right? I got grounded for a couple of weeks... xD Sorry.**

**I love your reviews… you all are so nice to me. :sniffle: Thanks for your note, Kagura-The Living Wind. I'll continue to add little notes to help everyone understand the story better.**

**Usual disclaimers apply… (Damnit!)**

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Kimiko had gone about half a mile before she calmed down, telling herself not to get so worked up. Letting him provoke her like this wasn't helping her cause at all, and the anger left her even more confused than before. She usually just brushed off the remarks made by others, but what Kouhei had said really stung.

"Keh," she said softly, shaking her head. She was just vulnerable because of the shock of earlier that day. Closing her eyes, she ran a finger back through her thick bangs, pressing her palm to her forehead. It was warm and slightly slick. Frowning, she brought her hand down again. What was that sickly sweet, coppery smell...?

With a gasp of shock, her eyes widened, and she brought her other palm up as well. Inside each hand, there were a few drops of drying blood. (A/N; Yes, blood actually smells a little like copper) With a sleeve of the red haori, she wiped it away and found four half-moon cuts that had already closed. Perplexed, she ran a finger over them. How had she gotten...? She stopped dead still, looking at her fingernails.

Dried blood crusted the undersides of the first four fingernails of each hand. Her eyes wide, she flexed them, and found they fit the cuts when she closed her fists. She'd had no idea she was pressing that hard, so hard that she'd cut her palms with her nails. With a sigh, she rubbed them of the dried blood. Then, with a gasp, she stopped walking altogether.

Her usually rounded, somewhat neatly filed nails were now about a fourth again as long as the usually were.

Alarmed, she brought one of her fingers to her mouth, attempting to bite the nail back to a proper size. She had to bite rather hard. It was almost a shock when her teeth severed it with a sharp splintering noise. She spat out the hard, sharp end distastefully, then examined her handiwork. Though a little jagged, it would serve. She wished she had a pair of nail clippers. Thoughtfully she resumed walking through the trees, bringing the next finger to her mouth.

"Ow!"

She pulled back her hand, licking her upper lip, tasting blood from a small nick on it. "What the hell?" she examined her hand again, pushing aside a vine with her other arm. The jagged edge of the nail she'd just bitten off was gone. There was absolutely no evidence of her having bitten the nail off at all. It was as though, in those few seconds, it had grown back.

A chill slipped down her spine.

She shook her head, chasing away the thoughts, and looked closely at both hands. No evidence of any of the nails being bitten. At all. Her heart skipped a beat, but then she scoffed to herself. She was letting her imagination run away with her, with all the crazy stuff happening today. But still, the thoughts toyed with her, teasing the edges of her mind as she kept up her pace.

Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer, and carefully put the same nail she was sure she had bitten off back up to her mouth. With resolve she bit strait through. That same splintering crack came again, and she spat out the end of the nail into her other hand. Then, she critically turned her eyes on the jagged edge of the bitten-off nail.

As though rising to the challenge, it grew before her eyes. Kimiko's heart pounded against her throat, and she swallowed it back down. In the time it took her to complete the swallow, the nail looked just like all the others.

"No way..." she whispered, and opened her other hand, with the bitten-off end of the nail. She held it up next to the complete nail. There was no mistaking that it had grown. "... no fucking way..."

-----

Kouhei muttered to himself softly, walking along the trail. Women. Why were all the other guys his age so fond of them anyway? They were nothing but trouble. Most of them were weak, too.

No... he sighed, pushing his hand back through his hair, though the more stubborn, shorter strands just fell right back into his eyes again. Negative thoughts... were not good for him. They kept him from staying focused on what needed his attention. He would have mused further, but it was getting dark. He would have to be back to the village soon, or he'd be missed.

With more focus now, he set off in the direction the girl went. The hanyou. It surprised him that she would want to find a village... unless...

He gave a soft curse under his breath. Damnit, why had he let her out of his sight? She could get to the village before he did... well, Kaede-sama would be there, right? He still had time.

-----

Kimiko knelt next to the stream, staring at her wavering reflection in the water for a moment before cupping some in her hands, splashing it on her face. It was amazing how clear it was. She could see strait through to the bottom. And fish...! There were fish in the river! She'd never seen fish out in nature before... just in tanks and ponds in gardens. All the rivers she'd seen were too polluted to have any sort of life in them. This place was teeming with it.

"Wonder where I am," she murmured softly, staring at her reflection again.

A classic Japanese beauty, Jii-chan had always said. She knew better. Thick, glossy black hair fell down her back, longer than that of most anyone she knew. It grew like mad, too, making it look like she was always in need of a bit of a haircut. Long tufts fell in front of her ears as well, resting over her shoulders and chest. It was almost too thick to tie up for track.

Bangs fell into her peculiar golden eyes, her most striking feature. Those eyes, like glittering amber shot through with the morning sun, were made piercing by a strong, set brow. It made her emotions easy to read, so she often covered them with anger, annoyance or just cockiness in general. She hid her feelings by pretending she didn't have any.

Kimiko was... different.

Her eyes shifted from her reflection to her hands, and her long, sharp nails. Very different.

_What's happening to me? Why am I growing claws? Why can I suddenly track someone by smell alone? _

Without warning, a scent slammed into her. _Speaking of smells… _Screwing her face up, she clamped both hands over her nose and mouth. "Ugh... what the hell is THAT...? It smells like rotting meat..." With another noise of displeasure, Kimiko cast her eyes around, trying to find the source of that disgusting smell.

Then she spotted it. A gigantic, ape-like beetle monster. It was staring at her from only a few yards away. As she watched it, eyes wide, trembling in shock, it clicked the pinchers at its mouth, blinking those many inky black eyes unevenly. It seemed to consider her for a moment.

Then, with a screech, it attacked.

-----

**Sorry if you guys hate me for the cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist xD**

**You know the drill, loves.**

**Note: The 'gigantic beetle-ape monster' is actually based on the Umber Hulks from Neverwinter Nights... which happens to be one of my favorite computer games. e.e; Sorry if it bothers any of you - :flinches as readers throw things: **


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